Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande are on the verge of a history making Treble. Having already won their third Chinese Super league Title in a row, and their very first AFC Champions League Trophy, they now go in search of the FA Cup.
Guangzhou, having lost the first leg of the final to Guizhou Renhe 2-0, have history in their sights. If they manage to overturn that deficit in the second leg they will become the first side in Chinese Football history to win the treble.
With 38 goals between them, both midfielders Dario Conca and Brazilian Elkeson will be missing for the second leg through suspension. That will be a major loss as strikers Muriqui and Gao Lin will have to take on the burden. Manager Lippi will have to shake it up in the middle of the park and whoever he picks will be expected to perform. Huang Bowen, Zhao Xuri, Zheng Long and Feng Junyan will probably make up the midfield unless Lippi decides to inject some youth to the proceedings. It's all about goals though as Guangzhou need to strike early if they want to make history.
As for Guizhou Renhe, two goals in the first leg from midfielder Yu Hai has them in the ascendancy. With a strike force of Bosnian Zlatan Muslimovic and Spaniard Rafa Jorda not having the greatest goalscoring records and with the midfield not in scoring form either it was a surprise that thay beat Guangzhou in the first leg. Trying to hang on to that 2-0 lead you would imagine could be very dangerous and if Marcelo Lippi's side turn up to play, it could be a difficult day.
Lippi has had a wonderful coaching career. Winning the Fifa World Cup in 2006, along with 5 Serie A titles, 1 Coppa Italia title, the Uefa Champions League, the European Supercup and an Intercontinental Cup his career is littered with trophies. Since moving to Chinese Football his success hasn't wained. Winning two Chinese Super League titles, 1 FA Cup and the biggest one of all in Asia, the AFC Champions League. Winning the treble would cap it all off, before heading off to Morocco to showcase the Asian game to the world in the Fifa World Club Cup.
Published by@gersloveofsport December 3
Published by
Guys, here's an update: Conca is available for Guangzhou, but Elkeson, Miriqui and Zhao Xuir are suspended while Zheng Long is out injured
ReplyDelete